Mount Agung Volcano: facts about the eruption (updated)

Update as of 24/05/2019:

  • Mount Agung had another eruption at 07:23 pm, local time. The eruption last 4 minutes and 30 seconds with volcanic ash spreading southwards.  The airport still operates normally. (Source

Update as of 18/05/2019:

  • Mount Agung erupted on 18/05 at 02:09 am, local time. The ash column is 2,000-meter high. Public are advised to stay outside of exclusion zone, 4km radius around the crater. The eruption does not affect airport operation. (source)

Update as of 22/04/2019:

  • Mount Agung had another eruption on 21/04 (source). The airport is not affected and operates normally. “This a normal situation of an active volcano and there is no need for the public to panic, as long as they remain outside the danger zone. Don’t try to get closer to the crater to document the volcanic activity in the crater,” said Dr Sutopo.

Update as of 30/12/2018:

  • Mount Agung had a small eruption at 04:09 am. The exclusion zone is 4km radius around the crater. The airport operates normally. (Source: Dr. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho)

Update as of 03/07/2018:

  • At 9:28 am and 9:46 am, local time, the volcano erupted. The ash cloud blows towards the west. The airport operates normally. (Source: Dr. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho)

Update as of 02/07/2018:

  • At 9:04pm, local time, Mount Agung erupted for 7 minutes with flares of incandescent lava observed out the crater. All airports still operate normally. (Source: BNPB Indonesia)
  • At 6:19 am, local time, Mount Agung erupted briefly for about 3 minutes and 47 seconds. The ash column is 2000m high, spreading westwards. All airports operate normally. (Source: Dr. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho)

Update as of 29/06/2018, 4:26 pm:

  • The ash cloud is getting thinner and spreading towards the west. Ngurah Rai Airport has reopened as of 02:30 local time. Bali is safe. (Source: Dr. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho)

Update as of 29/06/2018, 10:30 am:

  • Mount Agung has erupted again on 28/06/2018 at 10:59 am, local time. Smoke and volcanic ash spread west and south-west (Source: Dr. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho). Here are the satellite images of the ash cloud direction:Mount Agung Ash Cloud Direction
  • 3 airports are closed due to the activity:
    1. Ngurah Rai Intl. Airport, 29/06/2018, 03:00 am to 07:00 pm, local time.
    2. Blimbing Sari Airport in Banyuwangi, 29/06/2018 till 05:00 pm local time.
    3. Noto Hadinegoro Airport in Jember, 29/06/2018 till 05:00 pm local time.
  • At this point, the exclusion area has not been updated. The people living on the slopes of Mount Agung conducted an independent evacuation. 309 people are evacuated to 3 refugee points in Karangasem Regency. (Source: Dr. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho)
  • Villa-Bali.com’s response: if you stay in one of our villas and your flight is cancelled, please contact us so we can help you reschedule the stay. If you are checking in our villas today, we will be in touch with you shortly. For any questions, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Update as of 31/05/2018:

  • Mount Agung’s activity level is downgraded to level 3 and the exclusion zone is within 4km radius from the crater (Source: Bali Tourism Board)

Update as of 17/01/2018:

  • There have been few eruptions of moderate intensity. Community activities and airports operate as normal. The exclusion zone has been reduced to a radius of 6km around the crater. (Source: Dr. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho)

Update as of 26/12/2017:

  • An eruption happened at 10:05 am, 24/12/2017 with a thin ash rain towards the northeast of Bali. The airport operates normally. (Source: Dr. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho)

Direction of ash deposit

Update as of 08/12/2017:

  • An eruption with volcanic ash cloud happened at 7:59 am. The eruption and ash emission is not continuing. Ash cloud moving to the West, Ngurah Rai Airport and Lombok Airport operate as normal. (Multiple official sources)

Update as of 06/12/2017:

  • White steam/gas plume with moderate intensity out of the crater of Mount Agung is observed. Caution Status. Exclusion zone: radius 8-10 km from the top of the crater. Ngurah Rai Airport operates normally.  (source: Dr Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Head of Public Relations of National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB))

Update as of 04/12/2017:

  • The volcano is quiet with only a faint plume visible. Airlines have resumed their normal operations to Bali Denpasar airport. Lombok airport has also reopened. (Multiple official sources)

Update as of 29/11/2017:

  • The airport has officially reopened at 14:28, local time, after two days of closure. For specific information about your flight, contact the respective airlines. (Source: Bali airport official Twitter account)

Update as of 27/11/2017:

  • The airport is closed until the tomorrow, Tuesday the 28th, 7am. Some airlines have already cancelled flights after that time and are re-seating passengers on other flights. Contact your airline for specific information about your flight. (Source: Bali airport official Twitter account)
  • The status is changed to Level 4 (highest level).

Update as of 26/11/2017:

  • Mount Agung has entered a more active phase in its eruption. This is still a very local phenomenon. More black steam can be seen coming from the crater and winds are blowing towards the East of the island. No further evacuation has been ordered and the airport remains open. Some airlines have decided to cancel individual flights and have re-seated their passengers on other flights. The status remains unchanged to Level 3 (intermediary level). (Source: Press release by Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources)

Update as of 21/11/2017:

  • Mount Agung is undergoing a phreatic eruption (no magma involved). Black steam can be seen coming from the crater and winds are blowing towards the East of the island. No further evacuation has been ordered and the airport remains open. The status remains unchanged to Level 3 (intermediary level). (Source: Press release by Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM)

Update as of 30/10/2017:

  • The status of Mount Agung has been changed to Level 3 (previously level 4). (Source: Press release by Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM)
  • “Communities around G. Agung and climbers / visitors / tourists not to be on, do not climb and do not do any activity in the Estimate Zone of Hazard that is inside the crater area of G. Agung and in all areas within a radius of 6 km from Kawah Puncak G. Agung and added sectoral expansion to North-Northeast and Southeast-South-Southwest as far as 7.5 km” (Source: ESDM’s press release)

Updates as of 16/10/2017:

  • Mount Agung’s volcanic energy has declined. Please see updated graph below. (source: Dr Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Head of Public Relations of National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB)).
  • The wind direction remains North/North West.

Updates as of 09/10/2017:

  • Mount Agung has not erupted yet. If you see any images of “Mount Agung eruption” on the internet, please note that they are hoaxes.
  • There’s white smoke of 50-200 metre high from the crater. The rate of volcanic earthquakes in the last 12 days has not accelerated but continues to fluctuate at high levels. Tourist areas are still safe for travel. (source)
  • The wind direction remains North/North West.

Updates as of 04/10/2017:

  • About 3,000 refugees have returned home. Evacuees from 50 villages that are safe from Mount Agung may also return home. (source: Dr Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Head of Public Relations of National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB))
  • While the alert status remains the same (level 4), the volcano’s activity starts to go down. The government states that if the activity continues to go down, they will change the status to level 3. (source: Made Mangku Pastika, Bali Governor)
  • The wind direction remains North/North West.

Updates as of 03/10/2017:

  • Official observation indicates that the sky is clear and Mount Agung is visible. There is low pressured white smoke of light intensity hovering over 50 meters above the summit. The wind is still blowing northwards. Many tourists are seen enjoying their holiday away from the volcano area. (source)

Updates as of 02/10/2017:

  • Unlike what many online news channels were broadcasting last week, the volcano has not erupted. On the contrary, the frequency of tremors has diminished (see updated graph below). As many as 70,000 people who evacuated last week are safe to go back home. (source)
  • The number of tremors is still high. White steam clouds are occasionally observed rising 50-200 m above the summit. Currently, the emissions activity are more frequent. Satellites have detected new steam emissions and thermal areas within the summit crater. The analysis shows that the chance of an eruption is more than that of no eruption. It is still safe to travel to Bali. However, visitors should not enter the restricted areas near the volcano. The wind direction is still North/North West and will remain so for the weeks to come, keeping the airport safe. (source)
  • Earlier we published a map indicating that the distance from Mount Agung to Ubud and Kuta are 51 kilometres and 72 kilometres. However, the distance was calculated based on road distance. We have updated the information basing on crow fly distance. Thank you very much for your feedback.

Mount Agung – exploding or not? That is the Question.

Clickbait titles, online hoaxes, fake news and inaccurate articles make it extremely difficult to find out real, accurate, trustable information about the situation in Bali. In this article, we have gathered information from official sources – the government, the experts and research papers. While we are not an expert in volcanology; however, we care about the current situation as we are seeing it up close – 90 percent of our team are in Bali as well as many of our clients and partners. We are monitoring the situation closely and will update this article as the situation evolves.

Where is Mount Agung?

Mount Agung is an active volcano in Karangasem Regency in East Bali, 70 kilometres away from the airport and the touristic spots. The last time it erupted was in 1963, claiming 1,600 lives as at that time, evacuation did not take place until the very last minute (unlike this year where evacuation has already taken place, see below).

It’s Bali’s highest summit (3,031-metre high), and a popular tourist attraction with many sunrise treks organised there.

Mount Agung volcano

What is causing all this?

Mount Agung has shown recent increased volcanic activity. Visual and instrumental data from The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources indicate that an eruption could happen. There has been a significant increase in seismic activity, amplitude and other volcanic indicators. Between September 18th and 22nd, dark smoke emerging from the crater was observed (source). Volcanologists also noticed an increase in Harmonic tremor, an acoustic pattern in volcanic systems when magma is moving through a closed chamber (source). This rise was the reason why the alert level was raised to red as it usually indicates an imminent eruption.

As of September 29, 2017, no ash cloud is visible. A white plume of approximately 100 metres can be seen emerging continuously from the crater and moving to West (source).

Mount Agung activity

Mount Agung’s activity as of 16/10/2017

Precautionary actions have been taken in order to ensure the safety of the people living in the immediate vicinity of the volcano and authorities set up a 12-kilometre exclusion zone around Mount Agung (source).

Which would be the affected areas in case of an eruption?

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation created a map indicating the affected areas and evacuation route

Mount agung eruption affected areaswhere is mount agung in bali

The only affected touristic areas are Amed and Sidemen and some attractions are closed like the famous temple of Besakih.

Candidasa, 23 km away from the volcano, is safe. We contacted the owners and staff of our Villa Stella in Candidasa who confirmed that life goes on as per normal in the area, although it indeed gets busier as some evacuees have taken refuge in the area.

Moung Agung Bali map

What do the local authorities say?

As of September 29th, Bali Ngurah Rai Airport remains open. Ferries and fast boats between Bali and neighbouring islands of Lombok, Gili and Java operate as normal. Touristic life in South Bali is unaffected, and there is no sight of volcanic ash.

On September 27th, Bali Tourism Office issued an official statement reassuring tourists that Bali is safe and urging tourists to continue visiting the island.

Mount Agung Bali Authority Official Letter

What do they mean by “safe”?

Touristic areas are far from Mount Agung. For instance, Ubud is 30 kilometres away from the volcano, while Kuta and the South are 55 kilometres away. Other than the areas immediately surrounding the volcano, the main touristic spots would remain completely unaffected in case of an eruption.

distance to mount agung map

What if the volcano actually erupts?

In the event of an eruption, the direction of the winds will determine which areas will be affected by volcanic ashes. If it blows to the North, the ashes will spread northwards and will not reach Ngurah Rai Airport. If the wind blows southwards, it is likely that the airport will be closed, and tourists will need to take flights outside Bali.

Currently, the winds are blowing to the North/North East and are predicted to remain this way for the next few weeks. In general, the prevailing winds won’t turn to the South before the monsoon of December-March.

Bali current wind direction

Bali’s Current wind direction. Source: Windfinder.com

What if the airport closes?

“No expert can predict accurately when Mount Agung will erupt. However, Bali is prepared. Passengers will be reconnected to their intended destination,” said the Minister of Transportation.

Nine alternative airports outside Bali have been prepared for diverted flights, should the situation require it. The Ministry of Transportation has come up with two plans to transport passengers to Banyuwangi Airport and Praya Airport, or Surabaya Airport by land. (source)

The local authorities have also prepared 300 buses to transport affected travellers to ferry ports and bus stations.

The Immigration Department will support tourists with visa extension should a stayover be required. Similar services will also be provided by the Indonesian Customs. (source)

How is everyone in Bali?

The lives of people in the Karangasem regency and surrounding areas are hugely impacted by the current situation. They had to leave their homes, farms and seek shelter elsewhere.

It is in such times that we witness the warmth of the community, as people joined hands to help the evacuees. We see donations flowing in to provide them with food, clothes, blankets, medicine, etc. Many locals also open up their home to shelter the refugees (source).

There are 427 evacuation centres across the island, sheltering 146,797 evacuees (source).

google map mount agung

Source: Google

What is Villa-Bali.com doing?

For our villa guests

The area in proximity to the crater is not popular for tourist accommodations, and we don’t have any villa for rent in the evacuation area. More than 80% of our villas are in the Seminyak / Canggu neighbourhoods, 55kms away from the crater, in a safe zone. Moreover, the prevailing winds are at the moment blowing towards the North & North East, and as such should remain in this direction for the weeks to come.

We are at the airport every day picking up clients, the airport is busy, and customers are arriving for their holiday as planned. See the official airport statement here. Seminyak is as beautiful and busy as usual; the sky is blue and the beaches & restaurants are full.

However, if you stay at one of our villas in the East of Bali, we will help you change to a different villa or postpone your stay.

As always, we strongly recommend all our guests to get a travel insurance that covers natural disasters and acts of Gods.

For our dear Balinese friends

We know that our efforts alone won’t amount to much. Yet we believe that together, we can help alleviate the suffering of others. We collected donations from our colleagues and raised funds to buy necessities such as rice, medicine, baby food, diapers and toiletries. We have dropped our donations at a collection point where they will be transported and distributed to the ones in need in the East of Bali.

what's happening at mount agung

We will monitor the situation and update you with the latest information. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. And if possible, please join hands to help Balinese people too (there are many charities working on this situation).

List of Trusted Sources of Information

Bali Tourism Board: http://balitourismboard.or.id
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources: https://magma.vsi.esdm.go.id/press/view.php?id=95
Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation: https://magma.vsi.esdm.go.id/vona/
The official Facebook account of Indonesian Ministry of Tourism: http://balitourismboard.or.id/page/crisis-center/coordination-is-key.html
Interview with Dr. Surono, one of the leading experts on Indonesian volcanoes, former head of the Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG): http://bali.tribunnews.com/2017/09/25/peringatan-awas-dr-surono-letusan-bisa-lebih-besar-atau-bisa-juga-tak-meletus-karena-ini (it’s in Bahasa Indonesia, you can use Google Translate to get the gist of it)

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